Team leaders, supervisors, and department heads troubleshoot problems on a daily basis. As such, they need to have a broad range of skills and knowledge in their arsenal. In this article, we’ll share 8 tips to prepare your managers for every eventuality through leadership online training.

Managers must be ready to tackle tasks and navigate obstacles throughout the course of their workday. Employee conflicts, customer complaints, and malfunctioning machines are just a few of the hurdles they have to face. Fortunately, an effective leadership online training program can equip them with all the skills they require.

Branching scenarios enable managers to explore possible outcomes and improve their problem-solving approach. Each decision leads them down a different path, each with its own repercussions.

Therefore, managers have the power to build essential skills and identify areas for improvement. For example, they might be unable to resolve an argument between two co-workers. This indicates that they need to work on their communication or conflict resolution skills.

Through leadership online training, they are able to seek out additional training resources to bridge the gap and continually develop their talents.

Online training simulations feature realistic images, situations, and eLearning characters. They also allow managers to experience the same challenges and obstacles they’ll encounter in the workplace.

As a result, they have the opportunity to build real-world experience and task proficiency. For instance, the online training simulation should include troubleshooting tasks.

Managers must identify the problem, then use their skills and knowledge to come up with a viable solution. Online training simulations are ideal knowledge refreshers and “moment of need” resources. Managers can simply immerse themselves in the virtual environment to brush up on skills or improve comprehension.

3. Host Monthly Topic-Centered Webinars

Webinars are a great way to catch up with your management team and address pressing concerns. They also allow you to focus on common challenges or problems before they escalate. For example, you’ve noticed that most of your team leaders lack compliance knowledge.

They aren’t up to date with the latest rules or company policies. Thus, you can focus on this topic during your next webinar in order to share tips and ideas. Webinars give managers the chance to interact with their peers and exchange valuable information, as well.

Provide online participants with a list of talking points in advance, and record the webinar session for those who are unable to attend.

4. Create A Mentorship Online Training Program

There are two different mentorship approaches to consider: The first is pairing managers with other managers so that they can exchange ideas and experiences.

The second is the traditional mentorshiponline training program, which teams up managers with their subordinates. In both cases, your managers have the ability to improve their skills and share insights. Conduct surveys and polls to determine the best approach.

Then invite managers to complete questionnaires or online training assessments to find the ideal professional partnerships, like co-workers who share similar interests or goals.

5. Start Management Social Media Groups

Social media groups centralize communications and serve as an online meeting space. Managers can post resource links, share ideas, and work together to overcome common challenges.

Ideally, this group should be closed to the public to encourage open communication. This encourages managers to freely exchange their thoughts and opinions without the fear of negative repercussions, like a subordinate reading their comment and misconstruing the idea.

In addition, try to keep group sizes smaller to promote a more tight-knit community atmosphere. Online discussions, corporate eLearning blogs, and other social media platforms are also worth considering.

6. Conduct Periodic Online Training Assessments To Identify Gaps

Managers must be aware of their own strengths and weaknesses to continually grow and develop their talents. Self-assessments offer them the chance to identify gaps and improve productivity autonomously. As such, they are better equipped to take on workplace challenges and support their subordinates.

Online training assessments may be in the form of scenarios, online training simulations, serious games, or quantitative exams, such as multiple choice tests. The key is to provide immediate feedback so that they identify trouble areas early on.

7. Set An Example With Case Studies And Stories

Managers can relate to real-world case studies and stories that feature work-related dilemmas. For example, an emotionally-compelling story that deals with a conflict between two coworkers or a disgruntled customer who is unhappy with their recent purchase.

These online training resources set an example for managers to follow, and offer them valuable tips and tricks. They can apply this information in a real-world context in order to navigate challenging situations with ease. At the very least, they’re able to see things from a different perspective and possibly adapt their approach.

8. Offer Online Certification Programs

Online certification programsfocus on specific skills, tasks, or compliance issues. Managers have the opportunity to concentrate on each topic before moving on to the next. In order to do so, they must display their proficiency and complete the necessary online training course materials.

This helps to improve knowledge retention and reduce cognitive overwhelm.

Thus, managers are able to recall the information, even if they are dealing with stressful situations. Each online certification program should provide a comprehensive overview of the topic and all related skill sets. It’s also wise to survey your management team to create online certification courses that meet their specific needs.

For example, they would like to build their time management or organization skills in order to improve resource allocation.

And One Last Tip

There’s one last tip we’d like to share, which is to collect feedback from your management team on a continual basis. They may be able to offer valuable input to help you improve your online training strategy and more effectively bridge the gaps.

For example, you can develop online training simulations or scenarios that target their specific performance issues that your managers themselves report. You can also conduct surveys and polls to get your employees actively involved, which gives them a sense of ownership.

So there you have it. Leadership online training is the key to solving a host of issues in your organization; now you have the tips to make it happen in the best possible way. Put them to good use and reap the benefits that well trained managers have to offer!